Monument record MLI87269 - Probable Stack Stands, Wygate Park, Spalding
Summary
A series of late medieval and post-medieval ring-ditches, enclosures and pits, thought to be the remains of stack stands, at Wygate Park, Spalding.
Type and Period (5)
- RING DITCH (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1800 AD)
- POST HOLE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1800 AD)
- BIRD TRAP ? (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1800 AD)
- STACK STAND ? (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1800 AD)
- PIT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD to 1800 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
A previously unidentified slight earthwork mound was recorded in August 2001, during a walkover survey, undertaken to assess the impact of proposed development on land off the Hayfields, Wygate Park, Spalding. The function or date of the mound could not be determined, however. {1}
A series of curvilinear ditches and a post hole were excavated here in May 2003, during subsequent trial trenching. Sherds of medieval pottery were recovered from many of the fills of these features, which were thought to be the remains of former wild fowl hunting activity. Although these features could possibly be the result of agricultural acitvity, such as being the remains of stack stands, environmental evidence recovered from their fills does not support this. The analysis of the samples suggests that the ditches were water filled for much of their time, which would not present ideal storage conditions for fodder; rather it suggests that these features were islands of higher ground in a wetland environment that were utilised for a technique of hunting known as a pewit drive. This is a method of hunting whereby areas of marshland would be beaten, thus driving young wild fowl into nets that had been set up around the higher ground. {2}{3}
Archaeological excavation, conducted in August 2012, exposed and recorded a series of ring-ditches and curvilinear ditches in this location, of which two were dated to the later medieval period whilst the most recent was dated to the 19th century. The features clearly define a form of prolonged activity in this area, and had a number of other features, including enclosure ditches, pits and likely post holes, in close association. The previous interpretation of these features as bird traps utilised in pewit drives was challenged by the lack of bird remains found in the ditch fills, and it was thought more likely that these features are the remains of stack stands. This is despite the previous environmental evidence which suggests that the ditches were continually waterlogged. Few finds were recovered from the features although fragments of pottery, clay pipe and brick confirm the prolonged length of this form of activity. Thirty one fragments of animal bone were also recovered, although these were all from cattle or other large mammals, rather than avian species. {4}{5}
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SLI9914 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2001. Desk-based assessment of land off the Hayfields Wygate Park. APS site code: SWP 01.
- <2> SLI9916 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2003. Land at Wygate Park, Sleaford. APS site code: SWP03.
- <3> SLI9917 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2003. Land at Wygate Park, Sleaford. LCNCC 2001.456.
- <4> SLI14822 Report: Archaeological Project Services. 2012. Westerly Way, Wygate Park, Spalding. APS site code: SPWW 11.
- <5> SLI14823 Archive: Archaeological Project Services. 2012. Westerly Way, Wygate Park, Spalding. LCNCC 2011.375.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 2344 2356 (98m by 98m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SPALDING, SOUTH HOLLAND, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 21 2021 8:35PM
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